Method and apparatus for packing of objects

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATED TO A METHOD FOR PACKING BOTTLES, CANS OR SIMILAR OBJECTS OF ESSENTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION SHAPE. THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION IS TO PACK THE OBJECTS SUCH THAT THEY REQUIRE SMALLEST POSSIBLE SPACE AND AT THE SAME TIME SUPPORT EACH OTHER SUCH THAT VERY STABLE PACKAGES ARE OBTAINED. THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THAT THE OBJECTS IN A STORE OR STORE STATION ARE ARRANGED IN ROWS OF ALTERNATING EVEN AND UNEVEN NUMBER OF OBJECTS, ROWS OF THE GREATER NUMBER BEING SITUATED ALONG OPPOSITE TRANSVERSAL SIDES OF A GROUP OF OBJECTS FORMED IN SAID STORE. THE MAIN FEATURE OR THE INVENTION IS TO BE SEEN WHEREIN THAT THE BOTTLES ARE PACKED IN THE STORE, FROM WHICH THEY ARE REMOVED IN PREDETERMINED GROUPS FOR BEING COMMONLY PACKED, ACCORDING TO A DESCRIBED PACKING PATTERN AND THAT A MOMENTARILY FRONT ROW OF OBJECTS HAVING A LOWER NUMBER OF OBJECTS IS ALLOWED TO PASS OUT OF THE STORE AND THEN IS FED BACK TO TAKE THEIR PLACE ONCE AGAIN UPON A MAIN CONVEYOR FEEDING THE OBJECT OF THE STORE. THE INVENTION ALSO RELATES TO A MACHINE FOR CARRYING SAID METHOD INTO EFFECT AND BEING FOR THIS PURPOSE PROVIDED WITH STOPS IN THE STORE WHERE THE PACKING PATTERN IS FORMED, THESE STOPS HAVING BETWEEN THEM OPENINGS THROUGH WHICH ONLY THE MOMENTARILY FRNT ROW OF OBJECTS OF AN UNEVEN NUMBER CAN PASS OUT OF THE STORE.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Erik Gunnar Kapare Goteborg, Sweden 211 Appl. No. 797,454 [22] Filed Feb. 7, 1969 [45] Patented July 13, 1971 [73] Assignee Billeruds Aktiebolag Saffle, Sweden [32] Priority Feb. 19, 1968 [33] Sweden [31] 2104/68 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING 0F OBJECTS 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 53/26, 53/159, 53/187, 53/247 [51] 1nt.Cl. B651) 21/06, B65b 35/30 [50] Field oISearch 53/26, 159, 164,165, 244, 247, 187, 166; 214/6 N, 6 M; 198/22 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,535,880 12/1950 Tomkins 53/26 2,718,313 9/1955 ONeil..... 214/6 2,782,578 2/1957 Madden 53/164 X 3,431,698 3/1969 Bathellier 53/165 X Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Spruill AttorneyWenderoth, Lind & Ponack ABSTRACT: This invention relates to a method for packing bottles, cans or similar objects of essentially circular crosssectional shape. The object of the invention is to pack the objects such that they require smallest possible space and at the same time support each other such that very stable packages are obtained. This has been achieved in that the objects in a store or store station are arranged in rows of alternating even and uneven number of objects, rows of the greater number being situated along opposite transversal sides of a group of objects formed in said store. The main feature of the invention is to be'seenwhereint.that the:bottles are packed in the store. from which they are removed in predetermined groups for being commonly packed, according to a described packing pattern and that a momentarily front row of object having a lower number of objects is allowed to pass out of the store and then is fed backto take their place once again upon a main conveyor feeding the object of the store. The invention also related to a machine for carrying said method into effect and being for this purpose provided with stops in the store where the packing pattern is formed,

these stops having between them openings through which only the momentarily front row of objects of an uneven number can pass out of the store.

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING OF OBJECTS The present invention relates to a method for packing bottles, cans and similar essentially cylindric objects and the invention relates primarily to a packing of the objects in paper bags having a so-called canister bottom. The objects are brought to assume a certain packing pattern in a store from which they are discharged in groups to be commonly packed. Previously, the objects to be packed were fed in upright position to a conveyor in a single row against a stop and by means of a driver the first objects in the row, c.g. four of them, were displaced laterally in the store until an intended number of rows, e.g. six rows, were situated besides each other in the store. This group of objects, according to the specific example in a number of 24, were lifted by means of catcher out of the store, moved aside and brought down into the bag which was suspended at its open end. The packing pattern in the store will be completely rectangular.

Attempts have been made to improve this method, inter alia by reducing the required space for the packing objects in the bag, This has been obtained by a closer packing of the objects. Further, the important advantage is hereby gained in that the objects better support each other such that the bag will be more stable. However, it has turned out that in instances where the groups of objects which are transferred to the bag along the transversal outer side always have a greater number of objects, there will be obtained a very suitable packing pat tern which in the bag requires the smallest possible space.

One object of the present invention is to form this packing pattern in the simplest way in the store. The invention relates more particularly to a method for packing bottles, cans and similar essentially cylindric objects in bags or the like, the objects to be packed being fed from a conveyor in upright position to a store or store station and there being packed in such a way that there are formed, crosswise or transversely to the feeding direction, rows of objects having alternating even and uneven numbers of the objects, and having along the transversal outer opposed sides of the groups the rows with the greater number of objects, the objects being discharged from the store in predetermined groups to be packed in common. The main feature of the invention is to be seen wherein that the momen tarily front row of objects to be packed in the packing pattern having the smaller number of objects is allowed to pass by, out of the store and is then fed back to the conveyor for feeding them back into the store.

According to one embodiment of the invention the front row objects, during the feeding of the objects to be packed into the store, are stopped at a transversal limitation line and are packed together when sliding on the conveyor responsive to the continuing impetus from the conveyor. At a suitable width of the store which is provided with two parallel lateral guides, there is obtained a closely packed pattern from which there can be obtained rectangular packing units each one of which comprises a certain number of objects to be packed. The length of the sides of the unit then will be (d)(n) and new] where d indicates the diameter of the cylindric object, n the number of objects in a long tight straight row, and r the number of rows. One transversal dimension will be equal to the width of the store. Assuming for a closely packed zigzag pattern according to the invention that a number of 25 objects is chosen to comprise a unit to be packed, these objects are to be situated in four spaced-apart rows each having four objects and alternating with three more rows each having three objects, i.e. 4'4+3-3=25. Such a packing unit could be expected to give an optimum of stability. This 25-unit group has the dimensions 4d-6.2 d, a circumference of 20.4d and a surface of 24.811, with the round comers of the unit due to the cylindric form of the objects not being taken into consideration. A corresponding ZS-unit packed perpendicularly according to previously known methods will get the dimension Sd-Sd with a circumference of d and a surface of a. The last mentioned unit will have less stability in spite of the square shape and also will be less suitable for stacking or piling.

The invention also relates to a machine for the packing of objects of said kind, this machine comprising means for providing, in the store, a rectangular packing pattern in which the packed objects are situated in a zigzag manner.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the accompanying, partly diagrammatical drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine according to the invention for packing bottles in paper bags,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the discharge end of the packing store of the machine,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the store according to another embodiment of the same, and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the store of FIG. 2 with its conveyor.

The machine shown in the drawings is provided with a band or belt conveyor 1 on which a row of bottles 2 is fed. At the discharge end of the conveyor 1 there is arranged a bottom plate 3 comprising a sheet and forming the bottom of a packing store 4 having two parallel longitudinal guiding walls 5,6. This store 4 constitutes a store station used in conducting the method of the invention. At the discharge end, the store 4 is provide with stops 7 which prevent the bottles 2 from being further fed in the store 4. Therefore, the bottles will at this place be arranged relatively successively and closely to each other even though intermediate rows of bottles, which are situated parallel to said two side rows, will be situated closely after each other (see FIG. 2). In the transversal direction, i.e. transversely to the feeding direction, the bottles 2 will be situated in interrupted rows 8 and 9 with alternating rows 8 and 9 being of an uneven and an even number of bottles respectively. According to the shown example, the interrupted rows 8 contain only three bottles while the interrupted rows 9 contain four bottles. The stops 7 in FIG. 2 are place in such a way that only the front row 8' of an uneven number of bottles can pass through the openings formed between the spaced stops 7 while the rest of the bottles are retained in the store 4 thereby constituting the store station. Arranged behind the stops is a transversal conveyor 10 which in a longitudinal conveyor 11 connected thereto feed the momentarily formed front rows 8' of bottles back to the main conveyor 1. Conveyors l0 and 11 constitute secondary conveyor means.

As shown in FIG. 2 there is formed at the front end of the store 4, when the front row 8 of uneven number of bottles has been discharged, a unit or group 12 of bottles comprising four transversal rows 9 of four bottles each and three transversal rows 8 of three bottles each. Thus, this rectangular group 12 comprises 25 bottles.

The machine further comprises a known catcher (or grapple) 14 provided with clamping rails I3 or other suitable holding devices, said catcher adapted to withdraw the bottle group 12 as a unit from the store, said group with the catcher running on a roller path or track 15 being moved to a position (indicated by means of dash and dot line in FIG. 1) above the upper end 16 of a completely open paper bag 17 suspended thereabove and provided with a flat bottom 18. The catcher I4 is lowered in this position and deposes the bottle group 12 on the bottom 18 in the bag. When the catcher 14 returns to its original position (indicated with unbroken lines in FIG. 1), the bottles 2 are fed further in a forward direction (to the left according to FIG. 2) into the store 4. When the uneven row 8" of bottles has reached and passed between the stops 7, a new bottle group I2 is ready to be transferred by means of the catcher 14 to the bag 17 where, in the meantime, a piece of presized pasteboard or the like (not shown) may have been positioned within the bag upon the first group of bottles. When the bag has been filled in this way, the packing pattern then well fitting the transversal dimensions of the bag, the bag is release at the opening and is conveyed to a machine for closing the bag.

As indicated in FIG. 1 the stops 7 are arranged on the outer end of an arm 19 which at the opposite end is journaled on a shaft 20 and which by means of a pneumatic of hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 21 is swingable in such a way that the stops 7, to facilitate the displacement of the bottle group 12 by means of the catcher 14, can be swung down below the bottom plate 3. The piston and cylinder unit 21 may be functionally coupled to the driving means of the main conveyor 1 in such a way that this conveyor 1 is to be stopped when the stops 7 are lowered. When the catcher 14 with its bottle group 12 has passed over the stops 7, the latter are again lifted and the conveyor 1 is restarted.

According to this embodiment the passage area between the store 4 and the bag 17 is free or open for the bottles 2 hanging in the catcher 14. This is of a certain importance as it might happen that crooked or otherwise defective bottles are broken at their necks. As the passage is free, the broken bottle will be brought down into the bag I7 where it can provoke less problems than if left in the machine, If a broken bottle is put down into the bag, the operator will clearly hear this and may then remove the bag with its contents and apply a new bag in the catching means 22 for this purpose.

As obvious from FIG. 3 it is possible, by locating the guide walls 5,6 closer to each other than that according to FIG. 2, to obtain the same packing pattern but with the longitudinal side of the bottle group 12' extending in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor I and of the store 4. In this case the transversal rows 8a and 9a of bottles 2 will be essentially uninterrupted and situated close to each other. The first uneven row 8a of bottles 2 will also in this case pass between the stops 7a whereby they prevent further feeding of the subsequent transversal row 90. In this case it might be suitable to shape and mount the stops 7a to be displaceable in a lateral direction in order to permit the bottles in the first uneven transversal row 8'a to pass out onto the transversal conveyor and via the longitudinal conveyor llll return to the feeding end of the store 4. The store according to FIG. 3 as well as the store according to FIGS. 2 and 4! receive the bottles 2 along one of the guide walls 5 or 6, respectively.

The invention has been described in the aforegoing for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be restricted by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims. Thus, the construction of the packing machine as well as the shape of the store 4% may be modified within the invention. Other packing patterns than described in the aforegoing could be used. As an example it may be mentioned a packing pattern of 2-7+1'6=20 packing objects. The stops 7 may be replaced by an uninterrupted restriction wall which may be lowerable or foldable to a lower level than the one of the bottom 3 of the store 45. Instead of the bottles, also cans or other objects of essentially cylindrical shape may be packed in the machine.

The invention may also be carried into effect in machines of the kind in which plastic foils, e.g. shrink plastic foils, are brought to enclose groups 12 of packing objects 2 in which case the plastic foil forms the wrapping rather than the paper bag.

What I claim is:

l. A method for arranging bottles, cans and similar generally cylindrical shaped objects for packing in successively formed units of predetermined numbers of objects, comprising the steps of:

a. feeding a plurality of said objects (2) in upright position in a given direction of travel to a store device (4) in a store station;

b. grouping said objects (2) within the store device (4) into a plurality of adjacently disposed rows (8) and (9) which are oriented in a direction transverse to the feeding direction;

0. said grouping step (b) further including forming said rows to alternately comprise first, an uneven, lesser number; and next, an even and greater number of said objects;

d. initially passing or discharging the first formed row of the uneven, lesser number of objects out from the store in the same feeding direction, and subsequently, periodically discharging certain predetermined other of the uneven number rows, which serve to separate predetermined numbers of the alternate rows into predetermined groups, onto a generally transversely moving conveyor means, and then directing them back to rejoin other of the plurality of objects being fed as per step (a);

e. momentarily retaining said remaining objects as grouped within said store device so that the unit being formed is designatable, in the fore-and-aft direction of feed, by spaced-apart outermost rows having the greater number of objects and forming a unit together with at least one intermediate or inner row of uneven lesser number objects; and

f. subsequently moving from the store and store station the predetermined number of objects as a group to a package wrapping station to be subsequently wrapped or packaged as a unit.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further including wrapping said preformed group of objects as a unit.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) includes automatic conveyor feeding of said objects into said store.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 further including periodic stopping of the feed conveying of said objects into said store station during the steps of designating and moving a predetermined group of rowed objects from the store to be unitpackage wrapped.

5. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the wrapping includes automatic bag packaging thereof by moving said group ahead of said store station while temporarily stopping the feed conveying of objects.

6. In a machine for cyclically arranging and packing bottles, cans and similar essentially cylindrical shaped objects into successively formed units of predetermined numbers for subsequent a packaging of each unit, wherein the machine embodies a store means (4) having input and discharge ends into which a continuous plurality of objects (2) are fed in upright position along a main feed conveyor means (1) in a given direction; means (14,15) for transferring predetermined collective numbers of the objects in successive groups for placement with a wrapping device; the store means including guide (5,6) and stop (7) means for orienting the objects (2) into rows (8,9) extending transversely of the feeding direction and having alternating uneven and even numbers of objects (2); the improvement wherein:

a. the stop means (7) comprises upright abutment means having uniformly spaced openings at the discharge end of the store t), to orient said objects into said rows with the alternate rows commencing with that formed first adjacent to the stop means having the uneven and a lesser number of objects than those alternating rows which have the even and greater number of objects;

b. means for periodically removing and replacing said abutment means to enable passage thereby of only the adjacentmost row of uneven lesser number objects, formed responsive to impetus of v the fed conveyor means (ll) which subsequently moves the remaining collected objects against the replaced abutment means with a foremost row having an even number of objects;

c. transversal secondary conveyor means having a portion thereof disposed to receive and convey transversely of the main infeed direction said row of uneven lesser objects as they pass beyond said abutment means;

d. said supplemental conveyor including means to convey said objects passing the abutments back to the main feed conveyor means (1) for again feeding them to said store means (4); and

e. means for repeating the cycle.

7. A machine as defined in claim 6 further including in combination therewith package wrapping means for collectively wrapping the preselected groups of objects in unitary packages having flat bottoms.

8. A machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the package wrapping means include means for automatically periodically positioning a wrapping bag and placing a preformed group of objects into an open mouthed bag, with means for closing said bag to complete the packaging thereof.

9. A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said transfer means (14,15) includes means for selecting groups each of mediate row comprised of the uneven and lesser number of objects being interposted between said outermost rows, thereby leaving the remaining objects to be subsequently moved and reformed against said abutment means with a which comprises spaced-apart outermost rows having the even 5 foremost row of uneven lesser number of Said objeclsand greater number of objects and with at least one inter- 

1. A method for arranging bottles, cans and similar generally cylindrical shaped objects for packing in successively formed units of predetermined numbers of objects, comprising the steps of: a. feeding a plurality of said objects (2) in upright position in a given direction of travel to a store device (4) in a store station; b. grouping said objects (2) within the store device (4) into a plurality of adjacently disposed rows (8) and (9) which are oriented in a direction transverse to the feeding direction; c. said grouping step (b) further including forming said rows to alternately comprise first, an uneven, lesser number; and next, an even and greater number of said objects; d. initially passing or discharging the first formed row of the uneven, lesser number of objects out from the store in the same feeding direction, and subsequently, periodically discharging certain predetermined other of the uneven number rows, which serve to separate predetermined numbers of the alternate rows into predetermined groups, onto a generally transversely moving conveyor means, and then directing them back to rejoin other of the plurality of objects being fed as per step (a); e. momentarily retaining said remaining objects as grouped within said store device so that the unit being formed is designatable, in the fore-and-aft direction of feed, by spacedapart outermost rows having the greater number of objects and forming a unit together with at least one intermediate or inner row of uneven lesser number objects; and f. subsequently moving from the store and store station the predetermined number of objects as a group to a package wrapping station to be subsequently wrapped or packaged as a unit.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1 further including wrapping said preformed group of objects as a unit.
 3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein step (a) includes automatic conveyor feeding of said objects into said store.
 4. A method as defined in claim 1 further including periodic stopping of the feed conveying of said objects into said store station during the steps of designating and moving a predetermined group of rowed objects from the store to be unit-package wrapped.
 5. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the wrapping includes automatic bag packaging thereof by moving said group ahead of said store station while temporarily stopping the feed conveying of objects.
 6. In a machine for cyclically arranging and packing bottles, cans and similar essentially cylindrical shaped objects into successively formed units of predetermined numbers for subsequent a packaging of each unit, wherein the machine embodies a store means (4) having input and discharge ends into which a continuous plurality of objects (2) are fed in upright position along a main feed conveyor means (1) in a given direction; means (14,15) for transferring predetermined collective numbers of the objects in successive groups for placement with a wrapping device; the store means including guide (5,6) and stop (7) means for orienting the objects (2) into rows (8,9) extending transversely of the feeding direction and having alternating uneven and even numbers of objects (2); the improvement wherein: a. the stop means (7) comprises upright abutment means having uniformly spaced openings at the discharge end of the store (4), to orient said objects into said rows with the alternatE rows commencing with that formed first adjacent to the stop means having the uneven and a lesser number of objects than those alternating rows which have the even and greater number of objects; b. means for periodically removing and replacing said abutment means to enable passage thereby of only the adjacentmost row of uneven lesser number objects, formed responsive to impetus of the fed conveyor means (1) which subsequently moves the remaining collected objects against the replaced abutment means with a foremost row having an even number of objects; c. transversal secondary conveyor means having a portion thereof disposed to receive and convey transversely of the main infeed direction said row of uneven lesser objects as they pass beyond said abutment means; d. said supplemental conveyor including means to convey said objects passing the abutments back to the main feed conveyor means (1) for again feeding them to said store means (4); and e. means for repeating the cycle.
 7. A machine as defined in claim 6 further including in combination therewith package wrapping means for collectively wrapping the preselected groups of objects in unitary packages having flat bottoms.
 8. A machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the package wrapping means include means for automatically periodically positioning a wrapping bag and placing a preformed group of objects into an open mouthed bag, with means for closing said bag to complete the packaging thereof.
 9. A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said transfer means (14,15) includes means for selecting groups each of which comprises spaced-apart outermost rows having the even and greater number of objects and with at least one intermediate row comprised of the uneven and lesser number of objects being interposted between said outermost rows, thereby leaving the remaining objects to be subsequently moved and reformed against said abutment means with a foremost row of uneven lesser number of said objects. 